Empirical Study of the Relationship Between Emotional Labour and Job Satisfaction Among Secondary School Counsellors in Kano State

Emotional labour, the management of emotions to fulfil occupational roles, is a significant but underexplored dimension of school counsellors' professional experience, and its relationship to job satisfaction in North West Nigerian schools requires empirical characterisation. This study empirically examined the relationship between emotional labour strategies and job satisfaction among secondary school counsellors in Kano State, North West Nigeria. A correlational survey was conducted among 150 school counsellors from 50 secondary schools across Kano Municipal, Nassarawa, and Dala LGAs. The Emotional Labour Scale and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form were administered. Multiple regression and structural equation modelling were applied. Results showed that surface acting (suppressing genuine emotions to display required emotions) was a significant negative predictor of job satisfaction (beta = -0.44, p < 0.001). Deep acting (genuinely transforming inner feelings to align with role demands) was a significant positive predictor (beta = 0.38, p < 0.001). Emotional exhaustion mediated 34.2 percent of the surface acting-satisfaction relationship. Autonomy to manage caseload independently moderated the emotional labour-satisfaction relationship, buffering the negative effects of surface acting. Counsellors with more than 15 years of experience showed lower surface acting scores. The study fills an empirical gap in Nigerian school counsellor wellbeing research and recommends supervision supporting deep acting, caseload management autonomy, and emotional regulation skills training as professional development priorities in Kano State. Keywords: emotional labour, job satisfaction, school counsellors, Kano State, counsellor wellbeing